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With kick-off for the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament in sight, international teams have checked in across Germany to set up camp before they hit the pitch.
But where will the England team be based to keep their eye on the ball before their first match against Serbia come Sunday 16 June?
Here’s a look inside the luxury resort where players will kick up their calves for the duration of the UEFA Euros.
The Weimarer Land Spa & Golf Resort, located a short drive from Erfurt and 90 minutes away from Leipzig city, has been chosen as the base for Southgate’s squad this tournament.
Located aside a 45-hole golf course – two 18-hole golf courses and a nine-hole course –the resort’s 450 hectares of land sits in the heart of central Germany in Blankenhain, Thuringia.
The sleepy town with just shy of 7,000 residents has easy connections to stadiums including those in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and Frankfurt.
The location was highly sought after by other international football teams staying in Germany and the five-star resort is rumoured to have been secured for the games for over £800,000.
Weimarer Land Resort usually costs £300 per night for guests and was used by the German team for their pre-tournament camp.
Harry Kane revealed Bayern Munich team-mate Thomas Muller left him a good luck note ahead of Euro 2024 which warned him of the German weather when checking out of the hotel.
With a training facility built in 2021, there are one and a half FIFA standard football pitches for training set within an 18-hole golf course, the Goethe-Course.
For the footballers, this means shuttles to the pitches, grandstands and a ‘playground hall’ kitted with entertainment and games such as table tennis, darts and PlayStations.
The team can expect a secluded and comfortable stay in the resort built in 1150 that is frequently used to host weddings, parties and meetings.
The luxury lodging has 94 rooms with wood accents and modern amenities. Personal touches by the FA include family photos, tournament memorabilia and notes in the player’s rustic suites.
Though it’s unlikely Kane and his teammates will have time to make the most of all on-site activities, the resort offers horse riding from its own stables, walking tours, bike routes, archery and cross-country skiing to guests in winter.
There are plenty of spa amenities for some post-match rest and relaxation in the 3,000 sqm large Linden Spa. A spacious indoor and outdoor pool, infrared saunas, steam baths, a gym, ice plunge pool and physiotherapy rooms will await players when they arrive back at camp.
Although England travels with their own catering team, there are also three bars, a coffee lounge and six dining concepts on-site to fuel up.
These include the Augusta restaurant led by Chef de Cuisine Marcel Hanslok, fine dining in Restaurant Masters, Italian Michelin pop-up The First and the Zum güldenen Zopf tavern.
There’s even a robot called Kehrbart in a German football shirt to help staff collect plates and a helicopter landing site for VIP arrivals.
England v Serbia kicks off at 8pm on BBC1, Sunday 16 June.
Source: independent.co.uk
